Dinheirosaurus: Research Database
Titanosauria (Sauropoda) · Late Jurassic (~155-150 MYA) · Europe — Portugal (Praia Grande Group)
Research Note: Dinheirosaurus was a titanosaurian sauropod from the Late Jurassic of Portugal — one of the few known sauropods from the Jurassic of Europe and an important taxon for understanding titanosaur evolution and biogeography.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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García et al. 2012: Dinheirosaurus and new data on titanosaurian sauropods from the Jurassic of Europe
García et al. 2012 provide comprehensive data on Dinheirosaurus from the Late Jurassic of Portugal, establishing it as a titanosaurian and documenting sauropod diversity in the Jurassic of Europe
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Confirmed | A | 2012 | Fossil | García et al., Cretaceous Research | Taxonomy |
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Mannion & Upchurch 2011: Dinheirosaurus and additional data on titanosaur systematics and evolution
Mannion & Upchurch 2011 provide additional data on Dinheirosaurus and titanosaur systematics, further contextualising its significance within Titanosauria
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Confirmed | B | 2011 | Fossil | Mannion & Upchurch, Journal of Systematic Palaeontology | Systematics |
Active Debate: Titanosaur Biogeography and the Jurassic of Europe
Whether titanosaurs like Dinheirosaurus were part of endemic European faunas or connected to broader Gondwanan sauropod communities is debated. The biogeographic history of titanosaurs in the Jurassic of Europe — and their relationships to Asian and African forms — is key to understanding sauropod evolution.
What We Still Do Not Know About Dinheirosaurus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimen known.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
- Body size: Large titanosaur.
- Reproduction: Unknown.
In Depth
Fossils of Dinheirosaurus were first treated as belonging to Lourinhasaurus until new study ascertained that they were of a different genus. For some time afterwards there was still speculation that this was a mistake and that Dinheirosaurus should be regarded as a synonym to Lourinhasaurus, but even further study has now established without doubt that the two genera are definitely separate. Dinheirosaurus is regarded as being a diplodocid sauropod, similar to the North American genus Diplodocus. Lourinhasaurus however is regarded as being similar to Camarasaurus, a very different kind of sauropod. As a diplodocid, Dinheirosaurus was probably best suited to browsing upon low growing vegetation from above rather than reaching up into the trees.
Further Reading
- A new diplodocid, Dinheirosaurus lourinhanensis gen. et sp. nov., from the Late Jurassic beds of Portugal, J. F. Bonaparte & O. Mateus - 1999. – New information on the anatomy and systematic position of Dinheirosaurus lourinhanensis (Sauropoda: Diplodocoidea) from the Late Jurassic of Portugal, with a review of European diplodocoids. – Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 10 (3): 521–551. – P. D, Mannion, P. Upchurch, O. Mateus, R. N. Barnes & M. E. H. Jones – 2012.
